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Flash Back December 1998

Curzon Charisma

Very little is known about the visit of Lord Curzon to the remote Dilkhoosh tea estate located on the banks of river Harak and against the hill ranges, 40 kilometres away from Silchar. The Manager’s bungalow in all its beauty and tranquillity still retains a round marble table with artistically designed teak stands. Mr. RS Khandelwal, manager of the tea estate, pointing at this table said, “It was brought from Italy for Curzon who visited the garden to see his niece, married to the owner of the estate, then held by a British Company.” Mr. Khandelwal narrated the events of the stay of the Viceroy here for a night and the dinner he had on this very table.

The manager said that the Silchar – Lakhimpur road via Phulertal, which is now a national highway, was constructed to facilitate the visit of Curzon to the garden. This visit apart, the tea estate with its two out gardens – Naraindahar and Aylnee had been in the news recently when it was under abortive siege of 20 suspected NSCN (IM) militants. Prior to that, the bungalow itself was targeted by extremists when they fired upon it even a Mr. Khandelway dismisses this as the handiwork of some miscreants. For the well – built middle – aged Khandelwal who looks after the green leaves spread over 422 acres of land with an annual turnover of 5 lakh kgs of tea now owned by the Calcutta based Barak Tea Company, business goes on as usual.

Flash Back November 1998

In Line With Green Cover

Nature has endowed the North East with endless beauty and rich resources. However, this affluent gift of nature has been eroding fast, thick forests are eroding fast and many species of flora and fauna have vanished completely while some are on the brink of extinction.

According to the herbal medicine practitioners, the rich medicinal plants are losing their medicinal prowess. While the environmentalists opine that the rich perennial streams of the region are drying up slowly, the monsoons have become so irregular that floods and droughts occur frequently. The reason for this, they opined, is the massive deforestation of the region.

The Forest Survey of India, in its report, shows that the North East had lost a total area of 1734 sq kms of forest cover during 1991 to 1997. It shows that the total forest cover of the region during the year 1991 was 16777 sq km which has declined to 165143 sq km in 1993, 164359 sq km in 1995 and 164043 sq km in 1997. This shows the constant decline of forest cover in the region.

According to Mr. Promode Kant, IFS, Chief Conservator of Forest (Central), and also the Adviser, Forest to the North Eastern Council (NEC), the ever decreasing forest cover in the North East is due to the continued practice of shifting cultivation and excessive unscientific timber exploitation of the people.

Flash Back October 1998

Bodos in UN Platform

The agitating Bodo leaders have raised the Bodoland problem in the session of the United Nations working group on indigenous population held in Geneva recently.

The Bodo leaders raised the issue of land problem,human rights and the separate state before the UN session.When asked about the direct gain in the political field by raising the issue before the UN session,Dr.Devkanta Ramchiary said that
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Read more: Flash Back October 1998

Flash Back September 1998

Airport at Aizawl

To the great delight of the people of Mizoram,the much awaited Lengpui airport is slated to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister Mr.Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 22.

The aerodrome will open a new vista in air communication,connecting one of the remote and landlocked states of the country.The Lengpui airport is the second largest airport in the North East after the Borjhar airport built at a total cost of Rs. 106 crore. The airport will extend facility for landing of regular Airbus 320 services to and from the state.

The runway runs across 8200 feet,the terminal building is designed to hold 300 incoming and outgoing passengers at a time with facility of parking space for 200 vehicles and hangars for at least four medium sized aircraft.
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Read more: Flash Back September 1998

Flash Back August 1998

Freedom struggle in the North East

For the present generation,freedom struggle is but a glorious chapter in the annals of the nation’s history. A struggle which was non-violent pitted the moral strength of a subjugated nation against the might of a colonial power to emerge victorious as a free land. We present history of the national movement in States and also regional agitation’s, which proved to be a milestone in the country’s freedom struggle. This is an opportune moment to recreate the past and learn from the experience of these events.

Establishment of the British power in the North Eastern region of the country was facilitated by the collapse of the local rajas and chiefs due to the invasion of the Burmese in the early 19th century. The centuries old Ahom rule had eclipsed as a direct consequence of a series of invasions and intrusions by the Burmese. However, it was not smooth for the Britishers to subjugate all areas. In the resistance against the British domination the people belonging to the tribal communities played the most effective role.
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Read more: Flash Back August 1998